Affordable Care Act

On Jan. 1, 2014, President Obama's Affordable Care Act will greatly expand the health care benefits being offered to the 55 million Americans with no health coverage, as well as millions more who are underinsured.

The law sets certain standards that all insurers must meet, and mandates that all health plans offered to those who buy health insurance< on their own or in small groups include a set of "essential health benefits."

Our nation needs common sense healthcare reforms to lower healthcare costs, expand access and improve the quality of care. We must ensure that the quality of American health care received by our patients remains the best in the world. Doctors, not Washington bureaucrats, should make decisions about your health. Market-based solutions serve our families' freedom to choose their best healthcare option at an affordable price. I will continue working to restore common sense to the debate over this exceedingly important issue.

The Affordable Care Act puts consumers back in charge of their health care. Under the law, a new “Patient’s Bill of Rights” gives the American people the stability and flexibility they need to make informed choices about their health.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, the 84% of Hoosiers who have insurance have more choices and stronger coverage than ever before. And for the 16% of Hoosiers who don’t have insurance, or Indiana families and small businesses who buy their coverage but aren’t happy with it, a new day is just around the corner.

Soon, the new online Health Insurance Marketplace will provide families and small businesses who currently don’t have insurance, or are looking for a better deal, a new way to find health coverage that fits their needs and their budgets.

Indiana is fortunate to have the Healthy Indiana Plan, a consumer-directed alternative to Medicaid that has shifted the Medicaid paradigm in Indiana. The program currently exists through a waiver from Medicaid’s rules. Our administration strongly supports the bipartisan-created Healthy Indiana Plan and has asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to allow the program to continue for its roughly 40,000 current enrollees.

This short summary describes the health coverage provisions contained in the final version of the Affordable Care Act signed into law in March 2010, including the individual mandate requirements, expansion of public programs, health insurance exchanges, changes to private insurance and employer requirements. It supplements the full summary of all the final health reform laws provisions

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a landmark law that moves the health care system in the direction of prevention of disease and supports the role of local health departments. The law provides insurance coverage to a majority of the uninsured, authorizes new funding opportunities that advance public health and chronic disease prevention and requires coverage of clinical preventive services without cost-sharing in Medicare and new health insurance plans and incentivizes

By 2014, the Affordable Care Act will give millions of Americans access to reliable, high quality medical care, while advancing programs to hold costs in check. Benefits of the law include: insurance subsidies for consumers; transparent Exchanges to shop for insurance; new rules protecting consumers from insurance abuses; increased Medicare payments for physicians; and more. Below you will find resources to help you better understand the law, as well valuable resources to provide directly to patients.

On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, putting in place comprehensive reforms that improve access to affordable health coverage for everyone and protect consumers from abusive insurance company practices.

For those Americans who already have health insurance, the only changes you will see under the law are new benefits, better protections from insurance company abuses, and more value for every dollar you spend on health care. If you like your plan you can keep it and you don’t have to change a thing due to the health care law.

For the uninsured or those who don’t get their coverage through work, a key component of the Affordable Care Act will take effect on October 1, when the new Health Insurance Marketplace open for business, allowing millions of Americans to comparison shop for a variety of quality, affordable plans that best meet their health care needs.

President Obama promised that if you like your health plan you can keep it, yet his administration estimates up to 69 percent of all businesses could lose the ability to keep what they have as a result of regulations regarding so-called “grandfathered health plans.”

The president promised not to cut Medicare, yet approximately seven million seniors will lose access to their Medicare Advantage plans under his law.He promised that his plan would not raise taxes on the middle class, but then he broke that pledge by adding more than $550 billion in new taxes and penalties in the law – most of which will fall on the shoulders of the middle class.President Obama promised that his health care law would not add one dime to the deficit. The law is estimated to increase the deficit by more than $700 billion and cost taxpayers at least $2.6 trillion over 10 years.The president promised that his plan will “lower the cost of health care for our families, our businesses, and our government.” Instead Obamacare raises premiums, increases health care costs and burdens state governments.

Access to affordable, quality health care is an important issue affecting Hoosiers every day, and Joe continues to listen to Hoosiers in order to better understand how to address this complex issue. Too many middle class families and seniors fear that one medical emergency could bankrupt their families. Joe will continue working with his colleagues to find ways to improve the Affordable Care Act. He will continue listening to Hoosier businesses and health care providers about ways to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse from the system. Joe recognizes the important role the health care industry plays in Indiana, and wishes to see it thrive and expand while ensuring that Hoosier families receive quality, affordable care.

One reform Joe has supported was the elimination of the 1099 reporting requirement, which would have created additional bureaucracy and overly burdened Hoosier businesses. Additionally, Joe has been a consistent supporter of eliminating the medical device tax. From the beginning of the debate over health care reform, and continuing after the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Joe has made clear that he will not stop working to repeal the medical device tax until the job is done. The medical device industry is an important industry for Indiana and thousands of Hoosiers rely upon the jobs the industry provides.

"In these tough economic times, the combination of rising health care costs and lower revenues has made it increasingly difficult for private companies, unions, nonprofits, religious organizations, and state and local governments to provide quality and affordable health coverage for their retirees. And, as Labor Day approaches, I want to recognize those employers who are committed to maintaining adequate benefits for their workers and retirees in spite of these challenges.

"Access to affordable health insurance is a not only a key component of retirement security but an important aspect of ensuring good jobs for everyone.